Stutsman County Park Board accepts water trail grant
Jun. 5—JAMESTOWN — The Stutsman County Park Board unanimously approved on Tuesday, June 3, accepting a grant from the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department's Recreational Trails Program.
North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department awarded $240,000 to the Stutsman County Park Board to establish destination kayak launch sites at key recreation points along Jamestown Reservoir, according to the department's website.
The 80-20 matching grant through the Recreational Trails Program requires a match of $60,000 from the Stutsman County Park Board that can include in-kind donations and labor.
The park board has 18 months to complete the work.
Projects include purchasing concrete picnic tables and docks and installing them at various areas along Jamestown Reservoir and ordering a skidsteer.
The Jamestown Sun previously reported that 25 concrete picnic tables can be purchased at $1,000 for each one. The grant funds can also be used for docks for less than $20,000 each and a skidsteer for under $100,000.
Stutsman County Commission Chairman Levi Taylor said his only concern is agreeing to purchase items and not having the $60,000 in in-kind donations and labor.
The Stutsman County Commission unanimously approved a change in boundaries for the Jamestown Rural Fire Department that won't include a parcel where the new North Dakota State Hospital will be built.
Jessica Alonge, Stutsman County auditor/chief operating officer, said the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services is looking to annex the parcel for the new State Hospital into the city of Jamestown.
"I received the notice (from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services), verified that it was in compliance with everything that's required with the petition and then determined their proportionate percentage of taxable valuation (to the Jamestown Rural Fire District)," she said.
Alonge said the Jamestown Rural Fire Department has two loans — one for a ladder truck and another that is a 30-year building bond. She said the total balance of the truck loan would be about $425,000 and the total balance left on the building loan would be about $3.4 million beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
She said the total taxable value in 2024 for the parcel was about $9,000 and using a proportionate share of 0.02%, the total responsibility for the bonded indebtedness of the parcel that the fire district will lose out is about $700.
A public hearing will be held on the topic at the Stutsman County Commission's meeting on June 17.
In other business, the county commission unanimously approved:
* the appointment of Beth Dewald to the Great Plains Housing Authority board for a five-year term that begins July 1 and expires June 30, 2030.
* the appointment of Susan Koropatnicki as treasurer/recorder of Stutsman County.
* a request to reclaim County Road 39 east of Medina. The road would be reclaimed by adding gravel over the top of the road east from Medina to 58th Avenue and then south to Interstate 94. The total cost is about $129,000.
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Stutsman County Park Board accepts water trail grant
Jun. 5—JAMESTOWN — The Stutsman County Park Board unanimously approved on Tuesday, June 3, accepting a grant from the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department's Recreational Trails Program. North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department awarded $240,000 to the Stutsman County Park Board to establish destination kayak launch sites at key recreation points along Jamestown Reservoir, according to the department's website. The 80-20 matching grant through the Recreational Trails Program requires a match of $60,000 from the Stutsman County Park Board that can include in-kind donations and labor. The park board has 18 months to complete the work. Projects include purchasing concrete picnic tables and docks and installing them at various areas along Jamestown Reservoir and ordering a skidsteer. The Jamestown Sun previously reported that 25 concrete picnic tables can be purchased at $1,000 for each one. The grant funds can also be used for docks for less than $20,000 each and a skidsteer for under $100,000. Stutsman County Commission Chairman Levi Taylor said his only concern is agreeing to purchase items and not having the $60,000 in in-kind donations and labor. The Stutsman County Commission unanimously approved a change in boundaries for the Jamestown Rural Fire Department that won't include a parcel where the new North Dakota State Hospital will be built. Jessica Alonge, Stutsman County auditor/chief operating officer, said the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services is looking to annex the parcel for the new State Hospital into the city of Jamestown. "I received the notice (from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services), verified that it was in compliance with everything that's required with the petition and then determined their proportionate percentage of taxable valuation (to the Jamestown Rural Fire District)," she said. Alonge said the Jamestown Rural Fire Department has two loans — one for a ladder truck and another that is a 30-year building bond. She said the total balance of the truck loan would be about $425,000 and the total balance left on the building loan would be about $3.4 million beginning Jan. 1, 2026. She said the total taxable value in 2024 for the parcel was about $9,000 and using a proportionate share of 0.02%, the total responsibility for the bonded indebtedness of the parcel that the fire district will lose out is about $700. A public hearing will be held on the topic at the Stutsman County Commission's meeting on June 17. In other business, the county commission unanimously approved: * the appointment of Beth Dewald to the Great Plains Housing Authority board for a five-year term that begins July 1 and expires June 30, 2030. * the appointment of Susan Koropatnicki as treasurer/recorder of Stutsman County. * a request to reclaim County Road 39 east of Medina. The road would be reclaimed by adding gravel over the top of the road east from Medina to 58th Avenue and then south to Interstate 94. The total cost is about $129,000.
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In case you missed it in The Sun the week of May 19, 2025
May 24—The following stories from this week appeared on and in The Jamestown Sun. Students, faculty, staff and administrators of Victory Christian School as well as parents and Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce ambassadors marked the completion of the school's new addition on Friday, May 16, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. "It's going to benefit the church and benefit the community of Jamestown to have this space," said Mike Woodley, executive director of Victory Christian School. Beginning this fall, Victory Christian School will offer classes for students prekindergarten through ninth grade. The school offered classes for students prekindergarten through eighth grade this past school year. A new grade will be added each year with the addition of 12th grade in 2028. Victory Christian School launched its $5 million "Growing Together" capital campaign in April 2024 for the construction of the new addition with a goal of starting a high school. Woodley said $4.2 million has been raised of the $5 million goal. The Stutsman County Commission in a 4-0 vote on Tuesday, May 20, appointed Benjamin Tompkins to serve on the board. Tompkins was one of 11 applicants who applied to fill the vacant seat on the county commission."I'm very excited," Tompkins said. "I think that I can bring a lot of perspective that not everybody gets to see." The other applicants were George Barnes, John Baumgartner, Paul Belzer, Dernel Denning, Steven Gerszewski, John Grabinger, Daren Peterka, Trever Sahr, Taylor Vining and Alan Williams. Tompkins took the oath of office and filled the vacant seat after he was appointed on Tuesday. The vacancy was created after the death of Commissioner Jerry Bergquist on April 24. Bergquist was elected to the commission in November 2022. Tompkins will hold the office at least until the next general election. North Dakota Century Code 44-02-05 says the appointee holds office until the appointee's successor is elected at the next general election that occurs at least 95 days after the vacancy and the successor has qualified. The next general election cycle is in 2026. The Jamestown Building, Planning and Zoning Committee unanimously recommended approval on Tuesday, May 20, of a minor subdivision in northeast Jamestown . The final plat of the Buffalo Estates First Addition is a replat of a portion of Horizon Estates First Addition. Buffalo Estates First Addition is located east of the Two Rivers Activity Center between 25th and 27th Avenue Northeast and north of 5th Street Northeast. There is no street for 25th Avenue Northeast at the location. In related business, the Building, Planning and Zoning Committee unanimously recommended approval of the future land use plan amendment for Buffalo Estates First Addition from vacant/agricultural to a single-family residential district. The committee also unanimously recommended approval to introduce the first reading of an ordinance to amend and reenact ordinance No. 1556 of the city code by amending the district map to change the zoning of blocks one and two of the Buffalo Estates First Addition from a one-family residential district to a one-family residential and duplex or two-family residential district. The reason for the requests of the future land use plan and zoning map amendments is "to have the optimum ability to develop the area between single-family homes and single-family attached homes," according to the applications. The Jamestown chief of police says an ordinance is needed that would impose fees for repeat offenders of false burglar or fire alarms at businesses in Jamestown. Scott Edinger, chief of police, told the Jamestown Police and Fire Committee on Thursday, May 22, that the discussion for an ordinance is in the preliminary stages. He said the Jamestown Police Department has responded to an average of 218 false alarm calls per year for the past 10 years. In a letter to the Jamestown City Council, Edinger wrote that less than 0.25% of the alarms the Jamestown Police Department responds to have any actual emergency involved. Edinger said many of the false burglar alarm calls are at the same businesses. Fire Chief Jim Reuther said the Jamestown Fire Department is also experiencing a lot of false fire alarm calls. Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said city staff should research what can be put in an ordinance and present it to the City Council. Edinger said the ordinance should be in place starting on Jan. 1, 2026. "That gives us an opportunity to get this information out to the businesses," he said. No action was taken on the issue. The status of funding for Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center and other facilities operated by the U.S. Geological Survey through its Ecosystems Mission Area is still unclear even after the House of Representatives passed the Trump administration-sponsored budget bill on Thursday, May 22. Sen. John Hoeven's office replied in an email to a request for information before the budget bill passed the House of Representatives by saying, "We checked with the Department of the Interior regarding the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. DOI is evaluating their facility options and no budget decisions have been made at this point regarding staffing or funding." Rep. Julie Fedorchak's office did not provide information regarding the status of funding for the Ecosystems Mission Area the morning after the budget bill passed during the overnight hours. Various media outlets and national and regional wildlife and ecological organizations have reported that the Ecosystems Working Group and its laboratories around the country will be eliminated as part of budget cuts going into the next federal fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.
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Stutsman County Commission approves request for applications for vacant seat
May 8—JAMESTOWN — The Stutsman County Commission unanimously approved on Tuesday, May 6, a request for applications for the vacant seat on the board. The county commission is expected to make a decision on who will fill the vacant seat at its regular meeting on May 20. The county commission will hold a special meeting, if needed, on May 20 before its regular meeting to go over the applications. The deadline to apply for the vacant seat is noon May 16. The commissioner's term will commence immediately after the county commission's appointment. The vacancy was created after the death of Commissioner Jerry Bergquist on April 24. He was elected to the commission in November 2022. The appointee will hold the office at least until the next general election. North Dakota Century Code 44-02-05 says the appointee holds office until the appointee's successor is elected at the next general election that occurs at least 95 days after the vacancy and the successor has qualified. The next general election is in November 2026. State's Attorney Fritz Fremgen said the last time an appointment was made to the Stutsman County Commission in September 2023 the four commissioners voted for an applicant. If someone received three or more votes, the individual was appointed to the county commission. Fremgen said in the case of a 2-2 tie for two applicants, the county commission could call for another elected official to break the tie. Fremgen recommended Stutsman County Sheriff Chad Kaiser to be the elected official to break the tie since the state's attorney advises the county commission. To apply for the vacant county commission seat, visit, . The county commission unanimously approved purchasing a building that will be installed in Buchanan. The county commission approved the purchase of property in Buchanan in October 2023 to construct a building to store its blade. The total cost of the building and to install it is about $120,000, said Jesse Christianson. He said the post building is walk-in ready. Christianson said it will cost over $13,000 to get electricity to the building and more than $17,000 for heating, which includes floor heat. He said there will be additional expenses including electrical work to the interior and hooking up water. Stutsman County will send a letter to Kidder County and Peterson and Williams townships about creating an access point for farmers west of Medina. Stutsman County Road 39 west of Medina was closed due to high water making it unsafe and unpassable. Christianson said County Road 39 will be closed until water can be drained from Stink Lake. "As of right now, I just don't see that we can do anything with it," he said. "The way the water is coming up is deteriorating fast. It's not safe to travel." An access road would be created at 35th Street Southeast that goes west to 47th Avenue Southeast. Christianson agreed with Commissioner Mike Hansen that it would be a minimum-maintenance road. Christianson said the estimated cost to create the access road would be about $130,000. He said adding gravel to it would cost an additional $10,000 to $20,000. "This is kind of roughing it in to get it as travelable as it could be," he said. Christianson said the access road is owned by Kidder and Stutsman counties and Peterson and Williams townships. No timeframe was given when work would start to create the access road. Jessica Alonge, Stutsman County auditor/chief operating officer, said a formal letter should be sent to Kidder County and Peterson and Williams townships. She said county funds shouldn't be spent on the access road without having other legal pieces figured out. Commissioner Levi Taylor said the letter should ask for a response from Kidder County and Peterson and Williams townships and ask them if they would be interested in a meeting. A meeting will be scheduled if there is interest for one. Stutsman County Park Board will receive a $218,000 grant through the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department's Recreational Trails Program. The county's share is $36,000 for the 80-20 grant. The $36,000 can include in-kind donations, including labor. With the grant funds, Stutsman County Park Board member Henry Steinberger said 25 concrete picnic tables can be purchased at $1,000 for each one. The grant funds can also be used for docks for less than $20,000 each and a Toolcat for under $100,000. Steinberger said the park board has through June 2026 to complete the projects. Alonge said the grant hasn't been accepted by the county yet and to not order anything until a contract for the grant is completed.
